


More Than A Hunch

by RedZipBoots



Category: Alias Smith and Jones
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-25 00:13:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14366763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedZipBoots/pseuds/RedZipBoots
Summary: Kid is used to Heyes' hunches.  Can Heyes' silver tongue convince him that this one is for real?





	1. Chapter 1

He sat down heavily on a bed of old pine needles and leaned against the tree as he pulled the wounded man back to rest against him.

"It's okay, it'll be okay" he murmured, more to reassure himself than the man. 

He moved his hands away from the wound in the man's chest. The bleeding had slowed to barely a trickle; it was no longer pumping out between his fingers, covering his hands in blood. There was nothing he could do for him now - except wait. 

He sat listening to the slowing of the man's breathing, each breath more shallow and further apart, until he felt himself holding his breath as he waited for the next.

Finally, he knelt up and supported the man's head with one arm as each breath became just a tiny sip of air. He gazed at the face he had seen almost every day of his life and wished the intense blue eyes would open one more time. Tousled blond curls stuck to the drying sweat on the man's forehead and he smoothed them away before gently lowering him to the ground. He put his ear to the blood soaked chest and listened.

It was over.

Sitting back on his heels he squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed hard, fighting the grief that threatened to overwhelm him. A single tear escaped and wove a track through the dust on his cheek. 

His right hand hovered near the butt of the Schofield nestling in the tied down holster. With trembling fingers he grasped the weapon and drew it, gritting his teeth as his thumb pulled back the hammer and......

An unintelligible cry escaped from Hannibal Heyes and jolted him awake. He sat up breathing heavily, his heart racing. 

The curled up shape in the adjacent bed turned his way and sleepy blue eyes opened.

"You alright, Heyes?" 

"A dream," muttered Heyes as he exhaled a shuddering breath. Running his fingers through sweat dampened hair he was grateful for the darkness hiding his trembling hand.

Kid Curry raised himself onto one elbow. "You sure you're alright?"

"Go back to sleep, Kid. I'm fine."

His cousin did not need to be told twice and, after punching his lumpy pillow a couple of times, he turned over and drifted quickly back to sleep.

Heyes stared unblinking into the darkness of the hotel room. He frowned to himself, rested his elbows on his knees and tried closing his eyes, only to open them again instantly. That was worse.....much worse. He could still see his cousin's lifeless body and the blood covering his hands. That was what disturbed him the most - Kid's blood on his hands.

Secretly, Heyes always questioned whether he had done the right thing by encouraging his younger cousin to join the Devil's Hole Gang and thereby turning him into a wanted man. 

Six years ago Kid Curry had made his way into Wyoming after a couple of years going it alone and tracked Heyes to Devil's Hole. That was a month or so after Big Jim Santana had been arrested and Heyes was in the process of asserting himself as the gang's leader. Some of the older members of the gang had never accepted Heyes being made Big Jim's right-hand man and so were hell bent on vying for the role of leader themselves. 

Curry's strong and steadfast demeanour, not to mention his remarkable ability with a gun, had backed up the new leader's authority from the start. Heyes' silver tongue and quick mind together with Kid's fast draw meant it was inevitable that the pair would become infamous in their success; but at what price? 

Heyes didn't much care what happened to himself but, ever since the day his cousin had ridden into Devil's Hole, he had harboured a fear that Curry would end up the way he had in his nightmare. Heyes knew he would never be able to forgive himself if his cousin was killed as a consequence of their outlawing past. It would feel the same as if he had pulled the trigger himself and he couldn't imagine what life would be like if he had to live with that.

Knowing sleep would probably elude him for what remained of the night, Heyes pulled a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around his shoulders as he walked silently across the bare floorboards to the leather armchair. It was here that Kid found him when he awoke the next morning, dozing and still wrapped in the blanket.

ooooo-OOO-oooo

The two young men had money in their pockets for once; their earnings from a very lucrative job in New Mexico escorting a payroll across Indian country to a mining camp. The trip had not been without its problems but both the payroll and it's escort had made it to the mining camp safely. The mine owners were so pleased that, much to the former outlaws' surprise, they had also paid a handsome bonus.

When they had ridden into the small town of Redclaw in the Arizona Territory the partners had every intention of relaxing and enjoy themselves for a few days and, with three busy saloons full of average poker players, Heyes had been confident that they would leave with a considerable stake, meaning they wouldn't have to find work for a while. However, since the night of the dream he had shown little enthusiasm for anything, including poker, and Kid was starting to worry. 

The afternoon was hot and humid and the sky overcast. In all probability a storm was coming and neither Heyes nor Curry were keen to sit out on the hotel porch, watching the town go about its business, if the wind was going to get up and cover their surprisingly dust-free clothes with half of the main street. 

Not wishing to resort to forcing his partner into a saloon bar at gunpoint, Kid had persevered, eventually convincing Heyes that the best place for them was the saloon next door to the hotel where they could have a beer or two and, he hoped, play a little poker. He was sure that if he could get Heyes to play a few hands it would spark his interest and help him shake off whatever was bothering him.

They sat, as they preferred, at a table against the wall with a clear view of the saloon doors and with Curry on Heyes' right so he had unencumbered access to his holster. 

Heyes slouched in his chair with his legs outstretched and his hat tipped low over his eyes. Two half drunk beers and a brown hat sat in front of them on the rough and slightly sticky table.

"Y' know Heyes, I'm gettin' to like this little town," said Kid quietly as he leaned towards his partner.

"Mmhmm," came the absent reply from underneath the black hat.

Stifling a sigh, Kid pressed. "This town - it's pretty likeable, don't y' think?"

Heyes' right forefinger pushed his hat up a fraction. "Huh?"

Kid turned on a cheerful smile he didn't quite feel. "Well, we've been here what, three days now? Nobody has given us a second glance and when I checked out the Sheriff's office there were only two wanted posters on the wall and neither of them were ours. And....." he took a swig of his beer, "....how many times have we seen the Sheriff, or his Deputy? Not once! In my book, that makes it a pretty likeable town."

Pushing on the arms of his chair Heyes sat up a little straighter and glanced sideways at his partner.

"Maybe."

"What d' you mean 'maybe'?!"

"I mean, I guess it does," Heyes capitulated reluctantly.

Determined to keep the positives going Kid continued, "and.....we got paid for that job. All the money we were owed, with a bonus we weren't even expectin'! I think our luck's finally changin' at last."

Heyes looked at Kid's eyes shining in the dull light of the saloon and, clutching at a little of his cousin's optimism, smiled faintly for the first time in two days. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and took a long draught of beer, wiping the foam off his top lip with the back of his hand. 

Still keeping up the momentum Curry rose from his chair.

"Well, if our luck is changin' I think that's somethin' to celebrate. I'm gonna get us two more beers and fetch over a pack of cards. Then I'll let you beat me at Blackjack for a while until someone else wants to join us for a little poker. What d' ya say?"

Heyes pushed his hat to the back of his head and raised his eyebrows. "You're saying that you're gonna let me beat you?" 

"Yep. That's exactly what I'm sayin'." Kid flashed a grin at him as he headed to the bar.

A little over an hour later the wind outside had increased considerably and, as a result, the saloon was starting to fill up. The two cousins had moved to a green baize-covered table and had been joined by three other players so a poker game was now in full swing. Kid was relieved to see that Heyes had lost no time in getting into his stride, subtly dominating the game but not so much as to upset anyone. He also appeared to be enjoying himself at last. 

Throwing in his hand for the fifth time in a row Kid decided that 'Lady Luck' had deserted him once again in favour of his partner, so it was time he took up his position at the bar and watched Heyes' back. Besides, for the last ten minutes Curry had sensed a young cowboy loitering near the table, possibly looking to join the game. 

"You want in, mister?" he asked as he picked up what was left of his stake. "You can have this seat 'cause I'm done here." The cowboy nodded his thanks, sat down in Kid's vacated seat and laid his money on the table. Heyes looked up appreciatively at the addition of another willing victim.

Kid leaned his back against the bar, resting the right heel of his boot on the brass foot rail as he sipped a glass of whiskey and surveyed the room. When his eyes skimmed past the batwing doors he noticed a crowd gathering outside. Curious, he put his drink down on the bar and strode over to take a look.

A rider, his brown canvas duster coat flapping around his legs in the hot gusting wind and his black, flat-brim stetson pulled down low, led another horse by its reins. A body lay over the other horse's saddle. Curry's quick eyes searched the rider's clothing for a tin star but he couldn't see one. 

Thunder rolled somewhere in the distance.

Both horses came to a halt outside the Sheriff's office where the rider dismounted and turned to undo the rope holding the body across the saddle. The people outside the saloon started muttering and there were a few gasps as the supposed dead body stood up unsupported and, with a push from behind, staggered stiffly through the door of the Sheriff's office. 

Kid frowned as he returned to the bar, tossed back what remained of his whiskey and ordered another. His eyes also returned to Heyes who was totally focussed on the poker game and oblivious to what was happening around him.

The crowd outside the saloon had now made its way inside and the bar was getting busy. Despite being jostled a little, Kid stood his ground hoping to overhear any snippets of conversation which might identify the two men he had just seen. However, most of the talk going on around him was nothing more than speculation and the men eventually moved away to play cards or sit at a table with their drinks. 

The afternoon edged into evening and Curry's stomach began to tell him it was fast approaching supper time. Looking at the growing pile of money in front of Heyes, he figured it was a good time for him to quit before anyone got upset at how much he was winning. Kid finished his drink and, having waited for the current hand to play out, sauntered over towards the poker table. As he walked past he gave Heyes' chair a barely noticeable sharp tap with his foot.

Brown eyes flickered briefly to the passing figure of his partner then to the money in front of him and common sense told him he should quit now before somebody accused him of cheating. Maybe the Kid thought so too.

Heyes tapped the pack of cards that he had been shuffling and set them down in front of the man next to him. "You know what? I think I'm gonna call it a day," he said with a smile. Gathering up his money he tipped his hat and nodded to the other players. "Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure."

Heyes' departure was met by a groan from a couple of the other players who had hoped they might win some of their money back but, to the experienced gambler's ears this didn't amount to anything threatening and he confidently pushed through the batwing doors and out onto the boardwalk.

Kid was leaning against a post outside the general store. Heyes marched up to him, a frown creasing his brow.

"What's the matter? Did you see something?" he asked quickly, keeping his voice low.

"No, why?"

"Getting me outta there like that."

"You had a fair size pile of money in front of you so I thought we'd go over and get us some supper." Kid jerked his thumb towards a cafe on the other side of the street. 

Heyes sighed. "Is that all?"

"It's been a while since I ate, Heyes, and you know I don't concentrate real good if I'm hungry. You don't want me passin' out while I'm supposed to be watchin' your back now, do ya?"

"Passin' out," Heyes scoffed with a roll of his brown eyes. He looked at the guileless expression on Kid's face and slapped his hand against his cousin's shoulder. "Okay, I guess I'm kinda hungry too." 

The cafe was situated closer to the Sheriff's office than they would have liked but the food was hot, plentiful and inexpensive so they happily went inside and sat down at one of the scrubbed pine tables. 

After a pretty young waitress had filled their coffee cups and taken their food order, all the time blushing under the scrutiny of a pair of sky blue eyes, Kid asked, "So, how well did y' do?"

"I could have done a lot better if you'd have let me stay," Heyes was still smarting from being pulled away from the game. 

"Now don't go startin', Heyes. C'mon, how did y' do?" 

"Pretty good," replied Heyes, unable to stifle a self-satisfied grin. "If I can do the same over the next couple of days we could have us a sizeable stake. Maybe even enough to get through the winter."

Curry grinned. "Great. Any problems?"

"Well you were watching, weren't you?" asked Heyes, a little perplexed.

"Yeah, apart from when I went outside to see what was goin' on in the street."

"Huh?"

"There was a crowd watchin' this fella go past, leadin' a horse with a body slung over the saddle. They went into the Sheriff's office."

Heyes gave his cousin a curious look. "The body too?"

"Turned out it wasn't a body - a dead one - anyway."

They paused in their conversation as the waitress brought their meals. Kid picked up his knife and fork and grinned at the pile of creamy mashed potato sitting alongside the big juicy steak on his plate before attacking it with enthusiasm. 

"Who was bringing this fella in, the Deputy?" asked Heyes.

Kid shook his head. "Couldn't see a badge," he replied through a mouthful of potato.

"Not the Sheriff either then."

"Uh uh, but the badge couldha been hid under his duster," Kid replied a little testily, wanting to give his full attention to his steak.

"Could he have been, say.....a bounty hunter?" Heyes' question was laced with sarcasm.

Kid looked up and met his cousin's wide-eyed gaze and swallowed hard. "Awww no, why didn't I think of that?"

"Maybe this likeable town is dulling your senses!" hissed Heyes.

Kid aimed an icy stare at his partner before cutting another piece of steak and jabbing his fork into it.

"This fella, would you recognize him if you saw him again?" 

Kid shrugged. "Dunno. The wind was blowin' hard so he had his hat pulled down real low."

A flash of lightning lit up the lace draped window followed by a loud clap of thunder heralding the onset of the full force of the storm. 

Heyes sighed and put down his fork, his anxiety returning and his appetite lost. 

"Well, we can't take any chances. We have to find out who he is. If he is a bounty hunter then we'd better start packing."

ooooo-OOO-ooooo

The rain was lashing down promising to turn the dusty main street into a quagmire. Pulling up their jacket collars and holding onto their hats Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry closed the cafe door behind them. Avoiding the growing muddy puddles as best they could they ran across the street to the boardwalk opposite and into the hubbub of another of Redclaw's watering holes, the Silver Strike Saloon.

This establishment was a little more up-market than the one they had spent the afternoon in, being well lit and sporting a roulette table as well as several baize covered card tables. It was busy, smoky and noisy - exactly how they liked it.

They squeezed their way into a space at the long mahogany bar and ordered two whiskeys and two cigars. Heyes turned to survey the room as he exhaled a stream of blue smoke into the air. His eyes were immediately drawn to the size of the pots on a couple of the poker tables. He nudged Kid and indicated what he was looking at. Kid gave a faint nod of approval. All Heyes would have to do now was wait for a seat to open up. There was a considerable amount of money to be won here too, he thought.

Kid's eyes were drawn to something completely different, namely the shapely form of a blonde saloon girl as she walked between the tables. He noted the pale smooth skin of her bare arms and neck, and how the frills on her emerald green dress fluttered around her hips as she walked. Heyes followed his partner's gaze and smiled to himself as he turned back around to face the bar. He'd give it an hour at the most before Kid was heading upstairs with her.

Sometime later the bartender came back their way and asked if they wanted refills. Heyes nodded and fished in his jacket pocket for some coins which he placed on the bar in front of him.

"I hear there was a bit of a commotion outside, this afternoon," he ventured, taking the cigar from his mouth and casually inspecting it as he rolled it between his forefinger and thumb.

The man regarded him quizzically while he filled the glasses and picked up the money.

"Something to do with a prisoner being brought in?" prompted Heyes.

"Oh yeah, that was Ted Myers." The bartender wiped the bar with a cloth and chuckled. "He's known in these parts as 'Locoweed' 'cause he's real ornery. There's been a bounty out on him for a while now for his horse stealin', amongst other things." 

"Sheriff finally tracked him down, huh?" 

"No. Sheriff didn't bring him in."

"Oh?" 

"It was that fella, what's his name? The bounty hunter. Er...."

Heyes was glad the bartender had looked up at the ceiling as he tried to remember, or he might have seen the look of disquiet show in his eyes.

"A bounty hunter you say?" 

"Yeah, his name.....oh, it'll come to me in a minute." 

Heyes turned his attention to his refilled glass.

"Got it!" the bartender slapped his hand down hard on the bar. Startled, Heyes quickly swallowed the mouthful of whiskey which he has almost lost all over the freshly wiped bar and Kid took his eyes away from the blonde.

"Uriah Hendy! Yes, that's his name, Uriah Hendy."

Heyes liked the name even less the second time the man said it and he and Kid exchanged a subtle glance.

"Well, I don't reckon I've ever seen a bounty hunter." Heyes forced a stiff smile. "Is he in the saloon now?" he asked, peering around the room.

"Couldn't say; it's been pretty busy in here. The storm has brought a lot of folks in off the street," the bartender answered before moving off to serve a customer further down the bar.

The former outlaws finished what remained of their drinks and walked as casually as they could out of the saloon towards the hotel. A half a minute later a tall, wiry, almost emaciated-looking man with long brown hair, sharp features and steel grey eyes got up from a seat in the farthest corner of the crowded saloon.

Uriah Hendy took a half eagle gold coin out of his pocket and flipped it skilfully through his fingers as he leaned on the bar and beckoned to the barman. "What were you talkin' to those two fellas about?"

"Which two fellas?"

"One had dark hair and a black hat, the other had a brown hat with a fancy silver band. They just left."

The barman's eyes rested momentarily on the coin before he answered. "They were askin' 'bout the prisoner. Got the feelin' they weren't too pleased when I said a bounty hunter had brung him in."

"That all?"

The barman nodded.

"They locals?" asked Hendy.

"Nope. Never seen 'em before."

"How many livery stables are there in town?"

"Only one, down the main street on the right."

"Much obliged," said Hendy and he flipped the coin in the air towards the barman.

Uriah Hendy had been a bounty hunter most of his adult life. He was now fast approaching fifty years old and felt it was time he considered retiring. Bringing in Ted Myers hadn't been as easy as he had anticipated, that was why he had almost needed to hog-tie him across the saddle. Now that he thought about it, none of them seemed as easy to bring in as they had ten years ago. 

Hendy had been enjoying a quiet drink in the Silver Strike and watching the crowd when the two men walked in and caught his attention. They both wore their guns low and tied down and he noticed that the blond one had covertly undone the retaining loop on his revolver as he stood at the bar. He didn't think he had seen either of them before but he had memorised the descriptions of all the most wanted outlaws and was sure they were a fit. Following his conversation with the barman he made his way back to the Sheriff's office to check the Wanted posters.

ooooo-OOO-ooooo

Pleased that they didn't have to cross the main street which was now closely resembling a small lake the former outlaws walked in silence along the boardwalk to the hotel and climbed the stairs up to the second floor. As soon as the door to their room closed behind them and the key turned in the lock, Curry flopped down in the armchair while Heyes threw his hat on the bed and dragged a hand through his hair. He started to pace back and forth. 

"Uriah Hendy! Of all the luck!" he exclaimed incredulously, throwing his hands in the air before resting them on his hips.

"I've heard of him but he ain't trailed us before, has he?"

"No, but....I can't believe it....Uriah Hendy!"

Kid took his .45 out of its holster and slowly rotated the cylinder, counting the bullets. He already knew that each chamber was loaded but it was a routine he turned to in times of stress.

"What do you know about him?" he asked, trying to keep a cool head. 

"Nothin' helpful, except that he don't give up."

"I thought he only worked over Kansas and Missouri. Not this far west."

"Well, apparently he does now, and ten thousand dollars apiece will put us right on the top of his list for sure," grumbled Heyes.

Kid sighed, flipped the loading gate closed with his thumb and returned the Colt to its holster. "Well, I guess that means we'd better get outta here." 

"In this storm?!" The wind-driven rain beat hard against the window as Heyes' brown eyes surveyed the main street. Lightning sliced across the sky, quickly followed by a clap of thunder so loud it rattled the glass in the window and made them both flinch.

"This rain would cover our tracks real quick." Curry was always practical. 

"It would, but I think it'd be more likely one of us would get struck by lightning!" Heyes resumed pacing. 

"It might put Hendy off followin' us. Anyways, he may not have spotted us." 

"Oh yeah, we're bound to be that lucky!" came Heyes cynical response. He thought for a moment. "Then again, it's not like he's out here trailin' us. He was after that other fella, Myers."

Curry rubbed his corn coloured curls as he asked, "What're you sayin', Heyes; we stay in town and wait 'til Hendy comes knockin' on the door in the middle of the night with a double-barrelled shotgun?"

"Oh, no, I still think we should leave. Kid, our room here is paid up for another couple of days so we can leave whenever we want, but I think we might be pushing the odds to try and ride out, on a trail we don't know, in the dark, in this storm."

Kid grinned. "True, and that cracked mare of yours would throw you at the first clap of thunder!"

As much as he hated to admit it Heyes had to agree with Kid's appraisal of his horse. He gave a reluctant nod.

"So we wait 'til mornin'," Kid confirmed.

"I think that might be best."

Sitting down on his bed Heyes started to take off his boots. "Let's get some sleep. Hopefully the storm will blow itself out overnight and we can head out at sun-up; put as much distance between us and Redclaw as possible."

ooooo-OOO-ooooo

The storm raged on all night but, by the early hours, calm was restored as the thunder and lightning ceased and the torrential rain eased to a steady drizzle. Heyes had barely slept again so was able to wake his cousin before it got light. They dressed quickly, stuffed their few belongings into their saddlebags and grabbed their bedrolls before creeping down the stairs and exiting the hotel by a rear door.

Sloshing through mud and puddles in the back alleys the former outlaws remained watchful in the pale pre-dawn light as they took a roundabout route to the livery stable. The large sliding door was secured with a padlock which took Heyes all of ten seconds to pick before they slid inside, leaving the door ajar so they wouldn't have to light a lantern.

Heyes had just lifted the heavy saddle onto his horse's back and was tightening the cinch when he was interrupted by the ominous sound of a rifle being cocked. He froze.

Uriah Hendy followed the barrel of his rifle through the open door. 

The bounty hunter had spent only fifteen minutes yesterday evening in the Sheriff's office looking through a stack of Wanted posters before coming across the descriptions he was looking for, those of Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry. 

Hendy had considered the fact that the two outlaws might try and skip town last night but the violent storm had done him a big favour. By reputation Heyes and Curry were real smart and he had been willing to take the chance that they would wait until the storm had abated and the waterlogged trail out of Redclaw easier to navigate. 

Despite his prediction, he had still spent a long, damp night watching the livery stable and now it was about to pay off, and pay off big. Twenty thousand dollars was the biggest bounty he was ever likely to earn; it would set him up nicely in retirement. All he had to do was walk these two at gunpoint down the street to the Sheriff's office and into a jail cell.

"Get your hands in the air, Mister Heyes. No sudden moves now."

"What the....?" said Heyes. 

Hendy took another step forward and raised his voice. "I said, hands in the air." 

"Now wait a minute!" Heyes complained as he started to raise his hands but he didn't get them very high before the click from the hammer of a Colt .45 revolver spread a cheeky grin across his face. 

Looking back over his shoulder he could see Kid Curry standing behind the bounty hunter with the cold barrel of his Colt pressed firmly against the back of the man's head. 

"Easy," Curry drawled. "Lower the rifle, nice and slow." Hendy stiffened and groaned inwardly as he complied. He felt his pistol being removed from its holster.

Heyes ambled over and took the rifle, tossing it onto a pile of straw before searching the man for hidden weapons.

Hendy held his hands high above his head but said nothing. He was furious with himself. From his hiding place he had seen them both enter the livery stable but realized too late, as he stepped through the partially open door, that he could only see one man inside. He now knew that Curry must have been concealed behind a stack of hay bales next to the door. Maybe it is time I retired, he thought. I definitely ain't as sharp as I used to be.

"Now.....into that stall on your left." Kid's voice remained low and threatening. 

Hendy moved forward, well aware of Curry's reputation with a gun. He had heard that in all the jobs they had pulled they had never shot anyone but he suspected that Kid Curry was the gunman who, seven years or so ago, had killed a man in Waco, Texas. 

Heyes took two saddle strings from his pocket.

"You know how this goes. Hands behind your back," Heyes said airily, as he proceeded to tightly tie Hendy's hands. Pushing him down to sit on an upturned bucket Heyes then tied the man's feet together before gagging him with his own bandana.

Kid uncocked his gun and rolled it effortlessly back into its holster.

"Nice work, partner," grinned Heyes, slapping Kid on the back.

"Hmmm. Not much of a bounty hunter, is he? Lettin' a body get the drop on him that easy." Kid folded his arms across his chest as he studied the bound man.

Attempting a frown, Heyes mirrored his cousin's stance and shook his head. "Down right sloppy, I'd call it."

Hendy's belligerent words were muffled behind the bandana.

Heyes turned and picked up the discarded rifle before placing it in the empty scabbard on his saddle. He had sold his own rifle for a pittance a few months ago, mainly because they needed to eat, so this would make a fine replacement. He also took Hendy's pistol from Kid and placed it in his saddlebags. 

All the time they had been going straight Heyes' never really classed the removal of firearms as stealing and Kid had long ago given up challenging him on it. Heyes looked on it as recompense - in this instance, for loss of sleep and poker winnings. Besides, taking his weapons meant Hendy would have to re-arm himself before he came after them, so it would buy them a little more time.

Kid swung himself up into his saddle and taking the reins of both horses walked them out into the muddy street. Heyes followed, sliding the door shut and locking the padlock in place before mounting up and taking a relaxed trot up the main street and out of town. As soon as they hit the open trail they took off at a gallop.

It wasn't long before the rain stopped and, as the sun climbed higher and burned off the clouds, the temperature rose, rapidly turning the mud to dust once more. Once they had put a good few miles between themselves and Uriah Hendy they slowed to a walk for a time to rest their horses.

After a while Kid turned to his partner. "How long d' you think it'll be before Hendy starts out after us?"

"Oh, not long, the livery owner would have opened up for the day not long after we left. He's had to buy himself a gun and a rifle so I figure he's probably on his way about now."

"Y' know, Heyes, I sure am tired of dodgin' posses and bounty hunters." 

"Me too, Kid, me too."

"Maybe he ain't as good as he's supposed to be and we'll shake him easy. After all, he didn't do a very good job of arrestin' us back there, did he?" Curry smirked.

"Probably having an off day, Kid. We've had one or two of those ourselves in the past," said Heyes wryly.

Kid poked out his bottom lip and nodded. A pause. "So, where we headin'?" 

"Haven't a clue."

Kid stared at his partner in dismay. "What do you mean you haven't a clue? I followed you 'cause you looked like you knew where you was goin'."

"I was just headin' out of town, Kid, not anywhere in particular," Heyes replied with a shrug.

Curry checked the path that the sun was taking across the sky.

"Well, I guess we're headin' north,...sorta. What's north of Redclaw?"

Heyes squinted up at the bright blue sky as he considered his answer. 

"Not much I don't think, until Flagstaff."

"We ain't got much in the way of supplies, Heyes."

"I know."

Kid shook his head despondently. "Pfftt." 

"What's the matter now?"

"And there I was, tryin' to have a little faith."

"Faith? About what?"

"About you havin' a plan!"

Heyes eyes twinkled. "As a matter of fact, Kid, I do have a plan."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I plan to get as far away from here as I can!" 

Heyes slapped his split reins hard against his mount's rump and took off again at a gallop with Curry close on his tail.


	2. Chapter 2

Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry managed to keep up a good pace for most of the morning but, by noon the flat sandy, desert landscape was giving way to rocky outcrops with no clearly defined trail. This gave them more cover but it would slow them up. The two riders picked their way carefully through the rocky terrain. The last thing they wanted was one of their horses to get injured. From experience they knew that riding double was a sure way of increasing the odds towards getting caught.

They hated riding through rocks - it was tiring and frustrating so, by the time the sun had started to set they were more than ready to find somewhere to stop for the night. 

Heading for high ground with the biggest boulders they could find they set up camp so that they could see the path they had taken but their horses would be well hidden. Kid brushed the animals down and fed them a few handfuls of grain from the small stash in his saddlebags and water poured into a shallow tin bowl from one of their canteens. In this dry environment they all had to share. He hoped that tomorrow they would come across an arroyo that still had a little water in it after the storm and the horses could drink.

Heyes carried their saddles to a flat sandy spot and busied himself clearing away any stones from where their bedrolls would be. If there was one thing he could not abide it was turning over in the night to find a rock in the middle of his back. The Kid well, he could lie on a bed of nails and say it was the best night's sleep he'd ever had.

Rummaging through his saddlebags he sighed as he looked at the jerky and hard tack in his hand. He wished he could get some coffee going but lighting a fire was out of the question and anyway, there was nothing here to make one with. 

As darkness enveloped them they sat chewing laboriously through their supper then, as the moon rose, they took turns in keeping watch throughout the cold desert night. 

ooooo-OOO-ooooo

Heyes rubbed his hand over his face and yawned as the first light of dawn crept over the eastern horizon. From his vantage point above their camp his attention was drawn to something moving; it was some way off but it looked like it could be a horse and rider. He rubbed his eyes and squinted as he tried to focus in the dim light. 

Pushing his hat down firmly on his head he climbed down to their camp where he nudged his partner with his foot.

"C'mon Kid, time to go."

Kid Curry groaned. He hated it when they had to keep watch. Each time he got back to sleep it felt like Heyes was waking him again after two minutes instead of two hours.

"I think I saw a rider. Some way off, but it could be Hendy."

"Huh, it would just be our luck to get a bounty hunter who don't need any sleep," grumbled Curry as he started to pack up his bedroll.

"Let's saddle up and get moving," Heyes caught the look on his cousin's face. "Yes, I know! Before breakfast, again. Anyway, we only have the same for breakfast as we had for supper. You can eat while you ride."

Kid nodded; there was certainly no argument to be had about a jerky and hard tack breakfast. "You keep watch, Heyes, I'll saddle up," he said and with a grunt he shouldered one of the saddles and trudged over to where the horses were tethered.

Throughout the morning they once again tediously picked the best path through the rocky outcrops until suddenly, both horses began to toss their heads and pull on the reins.

"There goes your mare startin' again, and now she's messin' with my horse too," griped a sleep-deprived Kid Curry.

"She's not startin'!" Heyes said defensively. Both horses whickered and tried to pull to the right. "Hey, Kid, I bet they've smelled water. We've got a little time and they sure need a drink. Let's give them their heads, see where they want to go."

They gave the horses free rein and exactly as Heyes had predicted they soon came across a small pool in the shadow of some larger boulders. 

Both riders sat and watched their mounts sucking up the water. While they were resting there, Kid decided it would be a good time to check his horse's hooves. The gelding was due to be re-shod and he wanted to check that none of his shoes had worked loose over the difficult terrain.

Kid's boots hadn't even touched the ground before there was a loud crack and a bullet whizzed over his horse in exactly the place where he had been sitting a fraction of a second earlier. It ricocheted off a rock somewhere behind them. 

Heyes instantly flattened himself to his horse's neck before slipping from the saddle and, gun in hand, joined Kid who was crouched next to his horse.

"Sheesh, that was close!"

"Uh, huh." Heyes could feel himself breaking out in a cold sweat as he realized that his partner would probably have taken the bullet in the middle of his chest if he hadn't dismounted at that precise moment.

"Can't be Hendy, can it?" Kid couldn't believe the bounty hunter could have made up that much ground.

"Don't know who else would be shootin' at us right now, do you?" said Heyes, the tightness of his throat making his tone sharper than he intended.

"How's he caught up that fast? He can't be goin' much faster than us through these rocks and I don't think we're leaving too many tracks either."

Heyes shrugged. "Maybe he's half Apache."

Kid half stood, trying to peer over the rocks in front of them.

"I'm gonna go round those boulders over there, see if I can get a good look in that direction." Curry indicated with a jerk of his revolver before he crept around to their right to shelter behind another boulder.

All was quiet for a minute then a bullet gouged a chunk out of the rock near Kid's head. Hearing the shot Heyes called softly, "Kid, you okay?"

"Yeah. Saw the muzzle flash," Kid replied from the niche he stood in. "Must be a rifle. Bring me the one you helped yourself to, will ya. And some bullets."

A little irked by his cousin's jibe Heyes pursed his lips as he pulled Hendy's rifle from his saddle and, staying low, moved round to hand it to his partner who immediately fired a single shot in reply.

"No bullets. Sold them with my rifle." 

Kid grimaced at this information. "I'll hold him here with a few shots while you take the horses out the other way."

"Good idea, don't be too long." Heyes led the horses as quietly as he could through a gap in the rocks and down a slope where he mounted up and waited. Leaning on his saddle horn he strummed his fingers impatiently while listening to his partner trade shots with Hendy. Much to his relief it wasn't long before Kid appeared and scrambled down towards him.

Tossing Heyes the rifle Curry vaulted into his saddle. Heyes quickly passed him the reins and they urged their horses on, much faster than they would have liked over the rough ground. 

It was around noon when they began to leave the boulder strewn country behind them and as soon as the trail turned into scrubland they increased the pace to a flat out gallop once again. After several miles they could feel their horses struggling to sustain their speed in the heat of the midday sun and decided they had to take a risk and slow them to a trot.

Heyes turned in his saddle to check on his partner and it was then that he noticed blood on Kid's shirt.

"Hey! Are you hit?"

"No, a piece of rock thrown up by a bullet. It ripped through my shirt but only grazed me," Kid said simply as he pushed his finger through the tear in the arm of his blue shirt. He grinned. "Rather a hole in my shirt than in me, huh?"

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Now quit worryin'," Curry complained good naturedly. 

Half an hour later, as they crested a rise, they were faced with two options. Vertical, slick, red rock cliffs lay in front of them and continued for some distance off to the left before returning to boulder strewn terrain. Alternatively, to the right lay a rough steady climb up to a plateau, covered in thick forest.

"I'm thinkin' we should head into that forest. We could easily lose him in those pines." Kid Curry reined in his horse and pointed towards the plateau before noticing the colour had drained from his partner's face. 

"What's the matter, Heyes?"

Heyes tried to sound matter-of-fact as he shook his head. "Nothin', but I don't think we should go up there." 

"Why? Oh, wait.......don't tell me......y' gotta hunch." Kid's tone held more than a hint of sarcasm.

"No. It's more than a hunch."

Curry waited with raised eyebrows for an explanation.

Heyes swallowed hard. "Kid, I just know something bad will happen if we go up there."  
"How can you possibly know that?"  
"I think I had....a....a premonition." Heyes noted his partner's baffled expression. "You know, a warning that something's gonna happen. An omen."

"I know what a premonition is!" Kid replied irritably. "I don't believe in 'em though - didn't think you did either. I recall you tellin' me once that you didn't believe in bad omens, only good ones."

"If you'd had the nightmare I had those few nights back you would."

"I think it's time you told me what happened in this dream that's got ya so spooked."

Heyes hesitated and tried to avoid his cousin's gaze. He knew that Kid was the only person who could read him and he didn't want him to see the fear in his eyes. "Well...." 

"Come on, Heyes, we have to decide which way to go. Hendy will be gainin' on us," Kid urged.

Heyes cleared his dry throat. "It ain't easy for me to say, Kid but....." He caught the look from Kid pressing him to hurry, ".....but in my dream, you got shot!"

Kid screwed up his face. "Aaaw Heyes, is that all?!"

"No, that's not all, Kid. You were shot so bad.......you died! I saw it all, real clear. You lying there, dying, right there in front of me, in the middle of a forest!"

"And that's why you don't wanna go up there?" 

Heyes nodded.

"Seriously?" asked Kid in disbelief.

"Seriously," came the adamant reply.

Curry was about to say something dismissive but stopped, for as Heyes reached up to adjust his hat he noticed that, almost indiscernibly, his cousin's hand was shaking. Heyes' hands never shook. Kid had seen him handle explosives many times, including nitro, without so much as a twitch. It was then he realized how much this nightmare had unnerved his partner.

When Kid spoke again his tone was soft and steady. "Okay, Heyes, if it matters that much to you - no forest. Let's keep goin' this way and see where it takes us."

Heyes took two slow steadying breaths, his eyes conveying his relief before they spurred their horses on towards a gap in the cliffs ahead of them.

ooooo-OOO-ooooo

The high walls of the red rock canyon towered above the two riders as they followed the path through the dry wash, the sound of their horses' hooves making a strange echo off the slick rock face. 

For a half mile or so the canyon hadn't seemed too bad but now that it was narrowing, all Kid Curry could see as he looked around him, was danger. Whether Uriah Hendy decided to follow them in here, or took a route somewhere above them, there was no cover. 

Hendy shooting at them earlier in the day had clearly shown that it didn't matter to him whether he took them in dead or alive and right now, as far as Kid was concerned, if they stayed in the canyon they were as good as dead. Because of Heyes' reaction earlier Kid decided not to voice his unease but he guessed his partner would have realized the danger they were in. 

Heyes had also been eyeing the canyon walls and his thoughts were exactly the same. He was also acutely aware that if this went bad, and if he was going to be of any use to the Kid, he needed to get a hold of himself and put the nightmare out of his mind. Over the past few days he had tried looking at it logically, telling himself that it was only the work of his subconscious but he still couldn't shake the fear that something bad was going to happen. 

To make matters worse, as they rounded a bend it became obvious that they could go no further, if they wanted to take their horses that is.

"Dammit!" spat Curry. "We're gonna have to turn back!"

Heyes slammed his hat down on his saddle horn in frustration and raked a gloved hand through his hair.

"Sorry Kid, it's my fault we came this way." 

Curry tried to keep his tone even. "It's okay, Heyes. We'll have to find another trail is all, but you do know it will probably mean goin' up into that forest, don't you?"

Heyes nodded. "I know," he said quietly as he replaced the battered hat on his head.

They turned their horses and started back the way they had come but had not gone far when Kid pulled his horse to a halt and held up his hand. His keen hearing had picked up a faint sound, like distant hooves echoing off the rocks, exactly as theirs had done.

"Hear that? There's someone else in the canyon. We need to find another way out otherwise we're gonna make real easy targets, real soon."

Thankfully, the ex-outlaws were familiar with the vagaries of canyons having lived in the canyon that was Devil's Hole for some years and, as they retraced their steps, they scanned the walls for any sign of a trail that may not have been visible from the other direction.

Heyes was starting to consider giving up looking for another way out and was about to suggest to Kid that they hunker down somewhere and try to ambush Hendy, he pulled his horse to an abrupt halt causing the animal to throw up its head in protest. He pointed at the cliff to their left.

"Over there. What's that?" 

Curry squinted at the rock in the glaring sun, not quite sure what he should be looking at. 

"I can't see anythin', Heyes."

"Well, it don't look like much but I have a hun......" Heyes snapped his mouth shut thinking it wiser not to finish what he was about to say. Instead, he led the way toward the cliff. 

As they got closer, the shadows on the rock face began to change and it became clear that Heyes had indeed seen a possible trail behind the cliff face. Curry leapt off his gelding in order to take a closer look. 

"What do you think, Kid? Can the horses manage it?"

The trail rose steeply. It was narrow, with slick rock on both sides and barely wide enough for a horse. Kid peered into the dark enclosed space finding it difficult to see exactly how the ground lay for more than a few yards. 

"Dunno, Heyes. Looks pretty dangerous to me."

"Yeah, and sitting here waiting for Hendy to take another shot at us isn't?"

Kid aimed a humourless smile back at his cousin. "We'll end up with crushed legs for sure if we try and ride. If we lead the horses it might be okay but, if it narrows any more or dead-ends, then we're in big trouble 'cause there's no room to turn around."

The sound of hooves began to get clearer.

"Well, I don't reckon we have a choice anymore," stated Curry.

Heyes dismounted. "Let's do it." 

Both men took a moment to flip their stirrups up on top of their saddles and quickly tie them together with a saddle string to ensure they stayed there and wouldn't rub or knock against the rock face. Then, gently encouraging his horse forward Kid started to lead him up and away from the canyon floor. Heyes let his partner get a few yards ahead before doing the same.

Each man, at some point on the trail, wondered if this had been another mistake. Finding safe footing for both them and the animals was difficult and in several places it was down-right perilous. The cousins were glad of their long reins as they had to stay well away from the horses so that they could scramble, almost jump at times, up to the next level of rocky ground. Thankfully, the horses proved to be braver than they had ever imagined, especially Heyes' skittish mare, and they all reached the top safely, but exhausted.

While the horses stood blowing hard and quivering a little Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry leaned on each other, silently sharing a feeling of relief. Eventually Heyes straightened up, stretched his back, and reached for his canteen taking a few mouthfuls of their precious water before holding it out to his cousin. Kid took a long drink.

Now he had got his breath back Heyes said. "Just goes to show, Kid, we do get lucky sometimes."

"Well,.....I can do without that kinda luck if it's alright with you."

"For a moment back there I didn't think we were gonna make it," Heyes admitted. "It was real tough for the horses."

"And us!"

"I figure we should make the forest before nightfall. Let's hope there's a stream or two along the way. I don't think we'll get too much more out of these horses if they don't get a good drink. Not after that climb."

"Let's lead them a little while longer, make sure they're movin' okay," suggested Kid. "Hendy will have to either double back or follow us up that trail, so we've gained a bit of time."

Heyes hung his canteen back on his saddle. Turning, he stared warily at the pine forest in the distance.


	3. Chapter 3

The day was drawing to a close by the time they reached the edge of the forest.

They had walked with the horses for almost an hour before finally coming across a small stream where they had replenished their canteens and the horses had drunk their fill before the cousins mounted up and rode at a steady lope across the plateau.

Now they sat leaning forward on their saddle horns, with ponderosa pines stretching out in front of them as far as the eye could see, trying to decide which direction to take. 

"You got a preference, Heyes?" 

Heyes pressed his lips together tightly as he shook his head. 

"Okay then. Well, I say we go straight ahead," said Kid with conviction. "That's still north ain't it?"

Heyes glanced in the direction of the setting sun. "Pretty much."

"We're not gonna get far before we have to make camp but at least we'll have some cover," said Curry as he stood up in his stirrups for a little extra height while he looked around. "Can't see any sign of Hendy. Maybe we've managed to shake him."

"Mmmm."

Kid could feel Heyes' apprehension and regarded him closely.

"You really do think somethin' bad is gonna happen, don't you?"

Heyes shrugged. "I do, Kid. I can't help it."

"We'll be fine, Heyes. Trust me."

Those two words raised a faint smile on Hannibal Heyes' lips. He trusted Kid with his life - a lot - always had. What he didn't trust right now was his own ability to protect the Kid in return.

The forest was dense. With little space in between the tall pines the two men wound their way through as best they could. Although there was more than an hour of light left before sundown there was a strange half light which gave the forest an eerie feel. The atmosphere was muggy and with no breeze the air felt thick and difficult to breathe.

Suddenly a piercing scream reverberated through the stillness. 

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Kid bringing his horse to an abrupt stop. 

Heyes, momentarily unable to speak, looked around in alarm. 

Another yell sounded through the trees to their right.

"Let's go." Kid turned his horse in the direction of the sound.

Heyes held out a restraining hand as he found his voice. "Hey! Ho...hold on a minute." 

"What?"

"We really don't have time for this. We gotta keep movin'....," the brown leather glove pointed in the opposite direction to the scream, "....that way."

"But, somebody might be hurt." 

While Heyes appreciated his cousin's charitable nature - after all, it was one of the things he admired in him - it was, in his opinion sometimes misplaced.

"Okay, I admit it does sounds like somebody's hurt but the question is, who?"

Kid rolled his eyes. "Well, we won't know 'til we go look." 

"What if it's Hendy?"

"It can't be Hendy."

Heyes leant forward on his saddle horn. "But, what if it is? You remember what happened the last time you suggested we help a bounty hunter; when we stopped those fellas from lynching Joe Sims? He came after us again, and arrested us - again!" 

Kid closed his eyes for a second then said through a sigh. "Yes, Heyes. I remember. How could I forget?" Then he added through gritted teeth. "You went on about it long enough!" 

"I went on about it 'cause helping him was a dumb idea," said Heyes earnestly.

"But what if it's someone else who's hurt?"

"Kid, most of Arizona likely heard that scream and is gonna be heading in that direction. Hendy will no doubt be one of them hoping it's one of us who's hurt."

"So, we do nothin'? We don't help?"

"I thought we'd agreed not to make good deeds a habit, now?" 

"You seem to have a whole list o' things that I'm supposed to have agreed to, Heyes. But I'm dang sure I never agreed to not helpin'!" Kid's blue eyes were starting to get icy.

Heyes huffed out a breath and glanced around him as if he was looking for inspiration to add to his argument. He held up a forefinger. 

"What if it's a trap? Hmmm?" he queried, smugly. "Hendy's real smart. He might be tryin' to lure us over there, make us think he's hurt, then he gets the drop on us, or worse and....." 

"We'll have to make sure we watch each other's backs then, won't we?"

Heyes dropped his chin to his chest with a grunt. Most times, changing Kid's mind was something he was successful at but there were occasions when his silver tongue just wasn't silver enough. Without further argument he turned his mount and they moved off through the trees in the direction of the scream. 

The thick covering of old pine needles ensured the horses' hooves made little sound, for which they were grateful, and both men's senses sharpened as they looked for movement and listened for sounds which could indicate a threat. 

It wasn't long before Kid spotted a horse nuzzling at the ground as it searched for anything edible. Silently, he alerted his partner and both men drew their guns.

As they approached, the horse looked up and whickered a greeting at their mounts. It didn't appear injured. Heyes and Curry dismounted and examined the ground near the animal.

"Huh, pine needles sure don't show much. C'mon Heyes, you're supposed to be the champeen tracker," whispered Kid.

"That was a long time ago and it sure wasn't in the middle of a pine forest," Heyes hissed back.

It was then that they heard the moan.

A hasty mute conversation and the cousins circled round to their right until they spied a figure lying on the ground at the base of a tree some fifty feet away. Both men flattened themselves against adjacent tree trunks.

"It's Hendy," whispered Kid. "I recognize the hat and duster. He must have fallen off his horse."

"Or, is luring us into a trap."

"Can you really fake a scream like that?" asked Kid.

Heyes huffed again. "Okay, okay. You stay here and I'll go look."

"No, I should go."

"Uh-uh. You got shot in my dream, remember!" Heyes hissed.

Curry shook his head. "I ain't happy about you goin'."

"Looks like you're gonna be real unhappy then," quipped Heyes, and before his partner could voice any further objections Heyes stepped into plain sight, walking into the small clearing toward the prone man. 

"You alright, Mister?" he enquired. Instantly there was the sound of a gun being cocked as the man looked up, aiming his pistol at Heyes. Holding his gun loosely Heyes raised his hands as he continued to move forward. 

"You....you keep your distance," the man said, his voice tight. 

"I don't mean you any harm, Mister. Just seein' if you're alright. I heard a shout. Was that you?"

The man said nothing. Heyes stood still, trying to assess the situation.

It was then that he saw it - a large iron bear trap, attached to the man's left leg.

"Aaw, hell, I'm guessin' that was you," he said with a grimace. 

Deciding it was time to drop the pretence he continued. "C'mon now, Mister Hendy, put that gun down. I know you're after us but, right now, it ain't gonna do you any good shooting either of us. You can't turn us in, dead or alive, with that thing on your leg. And we're not gonna shoot you, we're gonna try and help you."

The prone man dropped his pistol with a moan as he grasped his injured leg.

Heyes kept his gaze firmly on Hendy and beckoned as he shouted. "Kid!"

Having observed his partner's every move Kid Curry was still surprised to hear his real name called. Cautiously he trotted over to join Heyes who holstered his gun. Kid kicked the bounty hunter's pistol out of reach. The cousins looked with loathing at the device on the man's leg. 

"Aaww, I hate these things," said Kid. Still standing he looked uneasily at the ground at his feet. "Hey, y' don't think there are any more around here do you?" 

"Trappers usually put their traps in places they know an animal uses, you know, near a den or somethin'." Heyes looked at the tree they were standing next to. "Look, here," he pointed at the side of the trunk, almost at eye level. "See. Scratch marks, and by the size of them it must be a big bear he's looking to trap." 

They both returned their attention to Hendy. He was clearly in a lot of pain, breathing heavily, rivulets of sweat running down his pale face.

"I'm gonna take a look; I'll try not to move it too much," Heyes told him as he knelt down. Hendy nodded, a strangled cry escaping his clenched teeth as the heavy metal trap moved slightly under Heyes touch.

"I don't suppose you can open it?" asked Kid.

Heyes shook his head. "You need a special clamp to depress the springs. Even if I had a bar spreader I don't think I could alter it enough to do the job."

"Are the jaws completely closed? If they're not maybe we could wedge them open." 

Pulling out his knife Heyes proceeded to cut away as much of Hendy's blood soaked trouser leg as possible, only to reveal a set of vicious metal teeth set firmly through the man's boot and into his leg. A piece of bone protruded through the skin at the top of the man's boot.

Heyes winced. "There isn't room to get anything big enough in there to prise it open," he said. "Let's see if we can do something to ease the bleeding." 

He pulled a bandana from his pocket and tied it around the bounty hunter's leg, tightening it just enough to slow the bleeding but not cutting off the blood supply altogether.

"Let's go get the horses, we can camp here for the night," suggested Curry.

"You go. I'll stay with him."

"I'd rather you came too, Heyes," said Kid with a meaningful look at his cousin.

"We'll be back." Heyes laid a reassuring hand on the man's arm before the former outlaws strode in the direction of their horses. When they were out of earshot Heyes turned to his cousin. "What?"

"We need to talk about what we're gonna do and I don't feel right doin' it in front of him."

Heyes frowned thoughtfully. "Well, Kid, as far as I can see we have three choices."

"And they are?"

Heyes started counting off on the fingers of his left hand.

"We could leave him here."

Kid's response was a reproachful look so his partner continued.

"Okay then. You could shoot him, put him outta his misery."

"Me?!" 

"Well, if it makes you feel any better we can toss a coin to see who does it." Heyes started to feel in his vest pocket for a quarter.

A glacial look replaced the reproachful one as Kid Curry slowly shook his head. Heyes quickly moved on to option three.

"Or.....we could leave him with a gun with one bullet in it.....so he can end it himself."

Curry sighed heavily as they reached the horses, gathered up the reins and began to walk them back towards Hendy. 

"You know, Heyes, when your genius fails, your sense of humanity never ceases to amaze me," he griped.

Heyes stopped and grabbed his cousin's arm. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What I said. You ain't got any good ideas and you don't really care about that man's sufferin'." Curry couldn't believe his cousin sometimes.

"I do care, Kid....it's just..." There was a part of Heyes that really wanted to help the man but the fear that his dream might become a reality was holding him back.

"Just what, Heyes?" 

"Well, he tried to shoot you this morning, or had you forgotten?"

"Sheesh, I thought you mighta come up with somethin' better," grumbled Curry as he started walking again.

"I'm tryin' to be practical!" Heyes' mare tossed up her head as he threw his arms wide. 

"How's about tryin' to get him to a doctor?"

"Kid, he can't ride so we'd have to lay him across a saddle. Do you have any idea how much one of those traps weighs? It can be as much as forty pounds. He would bleed out before we'd gone a mile with that hanging on his leg."

"We could try buildin' a travois."

"And pull it between these trees? You could see how much pain it caused when I took that look at his leg. Anyway, he'd still bleed out before we got him to a town. We don't know where we are - never mind the nearest town - and what's to say when...no, if we got him there, he wouldn't start telling everyone who we are?"

Kid stood very still, his blue eyes looking intently into his cousin's brown ones. "Well then, there's only one thing for it."

Heyes knew that look well; his cousin was going to say something that posed no argument. 

"And what's that?" he asked with a sigh.

"We stay with him....'til the end."

ooooo-OOO-ooooo

 

While Kid tethered and tended to all three horses Heyes took the rifle from his saddle and proceeded to poke the ground with the barrel all around the area where they planned to set up camp, checking for any further traps. 

Satisfied that it was clear he carried over the saddles and bedrolls. Then, once again poking the ground with the rifle he gathered up as many fallen branches and twigs as he could find in the falling darkness. He then scraped a small area clear of pine needles until he met dirt and started making a fire.

Uriah Hendy carefully watched the two men as they set up camp. He was having difficulty believing that they had not killed him, or ridden off and left him to die, and he was trying to work out their possible motive for not doing so. After all, outlaws wouldn't help a bounty hunter, especially one who had been on their trail. He stayed silent, sipping water from the canteen Heyes had left beside him.

Once there was more light, courtesy of the small fire, Heyes put on some coffee to heat and then reached into his saddlebags, taking out a large hunting knife. Noticing a glimmer of concern cross Hendy's face the corners of Heyes' mouth twitched.

"I'm gonna use this to dig with," he said reassuringly. "Get the stake out of the ground so we can move you, lean you up against your saddle." 

If he stayed perfectly still the bounty hunter felt he could handle the pain he was in but as soon as he or the trap moved, even an inch, he felt like he was going to pass out. Hendy nodded but hissed in pain when Heyes moved the trap a little in order to follow the chain attached to it to where it was set into the ground and, after digging around it with the knife for a while, he wrenched it free. 

Heyes looked over at his partner who was putting a pan containing some beans on the fire to cook.

"Kid, could you help me get Mister Hendy comfortable?"

Heyes helped the injured man to sit up while Curry unrolled a bedroll and moved Hendy's saddle next to the tree before the two men lifted him as smoothly as possible to rest against it. Hendy cried out as the trap pulled on his leg. Breathing heavily and fighting to stay conscious he settled back against the upturned saddle. The cousins couldn't help but notice the large pool of blood in the pine needles where he had been lying.

Crouching by the fire, Heyes tested the coffee pot to see how hot it was. Satisfied that the coffee was ready he poured some into three tin cups and handed one each to Kid and Hendy.

"Thanks," murmured Hendy. He took a sip, then coughed.

Kid gave him a sympathetic look. "Takes a bit of gettin' used to," he said, raising his cup and ignoring the customary scowl from Heyes.

The three men sat in silence for a while drinking their coffee until Curry eventually spoke.

"So, where'd you spot us?" he asked. "I'm guessin', the saloon."

Hendy was a little taken aback by the sudden question but answered honestly. "That's right. You were standin' at the bar."

"Two ordinary fellas standing at the bar and you spotted us for outlaws?" Heyes couldn't keep the scepticism out of his voice.

"Yup. I've got lots of descriptions of outlaws stored up here," Hendy tapped his right temple.

"Yeah, we've got the same kinda thing....but for lawmen," Kid said levelly, prompting a wry smile from Heyes. 

"Don't really think much of lawmen," Hendy volunteered. 

"Being a bounty hunter's the same, ain't it?" asked Kid.

"Not in my book."

"Why did you become one then, if you weren't bothered with upholdin' the law?" 

"Because I needed the money. I figured bein' a bounty hunter was a whole heap better than bein' a sheriff. Bein' a sheriff would have tied me down to one place. I like to be on the move."

Hendy tried to shift his weight slightly but the small movement jarred his leg and he leaned back against his saddle with a groan.

Kid waited a moment before he asked. "You're a long way from home. What brought ya this far west?" 

"Tryin' somewhere different. Wasn't after anyone in partic'lar, until I saw you two."

"Well, twenty thousand dollars has a way of gettin' people's attention," grumbled Heyes.

Hendy frowned. "Now I come to think on it, I haven't heard of you two robbin' any banks or trains in a while. You gone into some other line of work I ain't heard about?"

Heyes looked at his partner briefly and Kid nodded. There was no reason he shouldn't let Hendy in on their amnesty deal - he was not likely to tell anyone now.

"Well, Mister Hendy, we haven't done any robbin' in over a year and that's because we're goin' straight. The Governor of Wyoming has promised he'll grant us an amnesty if we mend our outlawing ways and stay outta trouble. But, in the meantime, we're still on the lam from people like you." 

"Well, I don't reckon you'll have to worry about me anymore," Hendy said with a shrug of resignation. The partners exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

Hendy shook his head in disbelief. "Huh, Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, the two most wanted outlaws in the West. I can't believe I almost had you." 

"Almost, bein' the right word," Kid pointed out with a cold stare.

Hendy laughed derisively before he put down his cup and laid his head back as the pain in his leg overwhelmed him. 

 

ooooo-OOO-ooooo

Heyes and Curry made short work of their first hot meal in two days. It consisted mainly of beans but was supplemented by some jerky and a can of peaches they found in Hendy's saddlebags. Hendy ate nothing; he was feeling light headed and nauseous.

Later, Heyes got out a bottle of whiskey he had bought in Redclaw and poured some into the three tin cups, giving double the amount to Hendy.

While they drank Kid sat and routinely cleaned his gun. He didn't want all the sand and dust from the day's ride to interfere with the action of his finely balanced Colt. Hendy, still fighting the pain and nausea, watched through half closed eyes as the blond man meticulously oiled each working part of the weapon.

"Nice revolver. You customize that?" he asked drowsily.

Kid looked up briefly, not aware that he was being watched, such was his concentration on the task.

"Sure. Built in a little more balance, filed the sight blade some, that sorta thing. Though I ain't filed down the spring none."

"I'm surprised. Thought you might find a hair trigger useful, being a gunfighter. Not to mention, a killer."

Kid's attention remained on his gun. His tone was level but his blue eyes flashed. "I ain't no killer." 

Heyes, who had been leaning back on his saddle enjoying his whiskey, sat up suddenly as he read the look on his cousin's face. 

"He ain't you know," he interjected quickly. "We've never shot anyone. In fact, not one of our gang ever shot anyone....when they were riding with us anyway."

"I'm not talkin' about when you was robbin' trains and banks."

Kid slowly and deliberately laid down his Colt on the oily rag next to the small tin of gun oil and turned his attention to Hendy. "So, what are ya talkin' about?"

"Waco, Texas. Back in sixty-nine."

Heyes shook his head. "Nah, you can't mean the Kid; the only time he's ever been to Waco was when we rode the Chisholm Trail and that was a few years later."

Kid stared at the ground and almost whispered. "I was there in sixty-nine."

Heyes' head snapped round to his cousin before he could attempt to hide his surprise. Uriah Hendy felt himself reviving a little as the whiskey dulled the pain and he managed to match Kid's icy stare.

"Remember, Curry? The Snakebite Saloon. You pulled a gun on Sam Birch 'cause he started on that coloured fella, sayin' he hadn't any right to be in the saloon, should be out pickin' cotton."

"Joseph was a freedman, Birch had no right to talk to him like he was dirt; say the things he did."

Hendy ignored Kid and continued. "You threatened to put a bullet in him where he stood but you left when the Sheriff walked in. Instead, you waited....waited 'til it was dark, then you shot Birch twice in the back, in that alley out back of the livery stable."

"Wasn't me," Kid looked up, stone-faced. "I always face a man, look him in the eye. I got no need to shoot anyone in the back."

"Well, I say it was you."

"Now, listen," Curry said through clenched teeth as he struggled to keep his temper in check.

"You sure got outta town real quick.... for an innocent man."

"Yeah well, when I heard Birch had been shot I knew whoever had seen that argument in the saloon would suspect me and I didn't wanna be hanged for somethin' I didn't do. That's why I left!" Kid snatched up his gun again and proceeded to load it.

Heyes grabbed the liquor bottle and held it aloft. "More whiskey?" he asked affably and gladly topped up Hendy's mug at the man's nod. The sooner the injured man passed out the better before his cousin was tempted to do something he knew he would regret.

Later, as the moon rose and the fire burned low Hannibal Heyes lay with his hands behind his head, his brown eyes trying to pick out the stars between the black outline of the tree tops. The Kid was rolled up in his blanket asleep, his right hand resting next to the holster in which nestled his shiny, fully loaded Colt. 

The cousins had agreed to take turns on watch and Heyes had volunteered to take the first one. A frown furrowed his brow as he considered the accusation Uriah Hendy had aimed at his partner earlier. 

They had both been to Texas a number of times but Kid had never mentioned that he had ever been to Waco. Now he brought it to mind, even during the couple of years they spent droving, Heyes had gone into the lively town without his cousin. Each time the drive reached Waco, or Six Shooter Junction as people had started calling it, Kid always said he wanted to catch up on his sleep; that he was too tired to spend all night drinking and whoring. 

Heyes remembered thinking at the time that it was a little odd. He knew the Kid liked his sleep but he also knew he liked whiskey and the ladies in equal measure, especially after spending a long time on the trail. But, it made more sense to him now. If the Kid had got himself into trouble there in the past he wouldn't want to risk being spotted, especially if he might be wanted for murder.

Heyes glanced over at Hendy and was glad to see that he was either asleep or had passed out. Either way he wasn't showing any signs of being in pain. 

He got up, his sock covered feet making no sound on the forest floor as he padded over and dropped to one knee beside the bounty hunter noting his rapid, shallow breathing. He wondered if it was a trick of the light but the man's lips looked a little blue and, despite the cool night, there was a sheen on his face as if he were sweating. 

Heyes pressed his lips together and sighed through his nose. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Hendy wouldn't see very much of the next day - if indeed he lived to see the dawn.

 

ooooo-OOO-ooooo

 

"He don't look too good," said Kid, inclining his head towards the bounty hunter as he nudged his partner awake the next morning. Heyes propped himself up on his elbows and yawned. 

"Is he breathin'?"

"Just," confirmed Kid.

Heyes struggled to his feet and stretched then reached for the coffee pot which was balanced on a newly made fire. Sipping the strong black brew he stood for a moment looking at the bounty hunter, his still sleepy eyes noting the pallor of his skin. He also realized that it hadn't been a trick of the moonlight, the man's lips did indeed look blue. Ambling over he crouched down next to him. Uriah Hendy's eyes flickered open.

"Hey," said Heyes softly. "You want something to drink?"

Hendy shook his head. The care shown by the notorious outlaw surprising him once again.

Heyes knew there wasn't much time so he asked, uncomfortably. "You got any family, anyone you want us to tell?" Once again the man shook his head.

Heyes started to stand up when Hendy's eyes widened and he reached out, weakly grasping Heyes' arm with a cold, trembling hand. 

"Thank you.....for stayin'," he rasped. 

Heyes gave a cheerless smile and nodded before gently placing Hendy's arm back under the blanket.

Under the circumstances, neither of the cousins felt like eating any breakfast so while Kid occupied himself with the horses and clearing up the camp, Heyes took their canteens and made his way to a small stream that they had discovered. He had finished filling one canteen and was starting on the next when a single shot rang out, loud and clear in the still of the early morning.

Suddenly Heyes felt as if he couldn't breathe and, for what seemed an age, the image from his dream of blood pumping out of Kid's chest filled his mind, rooting him to the spot.

The instant he regained his senses he dropped the canteen and sprinted back to the camp.   
Skidding to a halt in the small clearing he could see Hendy still under his blankets and Kid standing next to him, his gun in his hand. Heyes bent double, his hat swinging from his neck on its stampede strings. Resting his hands on his knees he struggled to pull air into his lungs. Kid turned towards him.

"What is it? " he asked in alarm as his quick eyes searched their surroundings for potential threats.

"Heard...a shot.... You...." panted Heyes. "You okay?" 

Kid snorted, then he recalled what Heyes had said about him being shot and dying in his nightmare.

"Heyes, will ya let the dream go. I'm fine. All in one piece." He held his arms wide as he turned to face his cousin. "Look." 

A grim thought then occurred to Heyes and he glanced quickly from the gun to Hendy. "You didn't?" he said warily. 

"Didn't what?" Curry was momentarily puzzled then he frowned as he realised what Heyes was inferring. "Course not! We decided against choice number two, if you remember."

"Why the shot?" asked Heyes, wishing his heart would stop trying to break through his ribs.

Curry grinned as he holstered the Colt. "I was shootin' me a jackrabbit. We ain't had breakfast but we'll sure have a good supper!"

Heyes shook his head as he straightened up and feeling a little dazed slowly made his way back to the stream. Logic should have told him that the bounty hunter was in no shape to fire a gun, let alone hit anything - or anybody, but with the sense of foreboding that he had been dealing with over the past few days, the sound of that single shot had him struggling to form anything resembling a coherent thought.

Kneeling down heavily on the muddy bank he took several slow breaths as he splashed some of the cool water over his face and the back of his neck. Feeling a little better he replaced his hat firmly on his head and continued filling the canteens.

Back at the camp, Kid was busy gutting the dead jackrabbit when he heard Hendy moan. 

"You want some water?" he asked as he approached the man, forgetting that Heyes had taken all three canteens. 

Hendy shook his head. Although his mouth was dry he didn't want to waste his last scrap of energy trying to drink. Instead, he reached inside his duster coat - the movement still making the gunman lay his hand warily on the butt of his revolver. The bounty hunter struggled to open his eyes and focus on Kid as his trembling hand revealed a roll of banknotes.

"Here," he croaked. "Ain't got no use for it." He loosened his grip and the money fell at Kid's feet. "Take it."

Kid looked down at the money, opened his mouth to speak then closed it again when he saw that Hendy's eyes remained open, staring unseeing at the treetops. He was in the process of closing them when Heyes walked into view.

Kid stood up. "He's gone," he said simply.

"Thought it wouldn't be long." Heyes dropped the canteens and picked up the roll of banknotes. "Where did this come from?" 

"He gave it to me. I guess it's the money he got for bringing Myers in."

Heyes shook his head in disbelief as he thumbed through the roll. "Huh, there must be two hundred dollars here. Fancy that, a bounty hunter giving us money."

He held the money out towards Curry.

"What ya giving it to me for?" Kid took a step backward.

"Well, he gave it to you didn't he?"

"It don't seem right to me, Heyes. It kinda feels like we robbed him."

"Well we didn't. Anyway, while you were seein' to the horses I asked him if there was anyone he wanted us to tell, and he said no. Guess he wanted you to have it."

"It's not like we really knew him. We just sat with him for a spell."

Heyes considered this for a moment. 

"Y' know, Kid. Hendy had a real low opinion of outlaws so he expected us to do nothing more than put a bullet in him the first chance we got. Maybe we changed how he thought....about us anyway."

ooooo-OOO-ooooo

They wrapped Uriah Hendy's body in his bedroll and laid him where he died, unable to bury him like they had Joe Sims. They only had Heyes' hunting knife and the ground was full of roots and much too solid to dig with their bare hands. 

Heyes said a few respectful words then, satisfied that they had done all they could for him, they mounted up. Leading Hendy's horse the cousins slowly wove their way back through the trees and out into the harsh high desert sunlight.

The sun quickly warmed the cool morning air and Heyes rolled up his shirt sleeves a little revealing the cuffs of his white henley undershirt. He felt like he could breathe again. Now that they weren't being hunted by Hendy they could take a slow ride out in the open through the boulder-strewn scrubland instead of continuing through the oppressive confines of the forest.

They rode along in silence and, although Heyes appeared deep in thought, Kid could sense his partner's spirits lifting with every mile they put between them and the bounty hunter. He eventually broke the silence.

"So much for your hunch, Heyes."

"Hmmm?" 

"I said, 'so much for your hunch'."

"Well, I did say I thought something bad would happen. I just didn't figure on it happening to Hendy."

A few minutes passed before Kid spoke again.

"Y' know, I make that two bounty hunters now that have died trailin' us....and those are the ones we know about." 

"Huh, seems to me it's almost as dangerous being a bounty hunter as it is being an outlaw."

"Shame we can't put somethin' on our Wanted posters. Y' know, a warnin' 'bout how dangerous it could be for them if they try catchin' us," Kid deadpanned.

Heyes looked askance at his cousin supposing for a fleeting moment that he might be serious, before he detected a glint in the blue eyes underneath the brim of the floppy brown hat.

"You might have something there, Kid," Heyes mused. "It could make them think twice about huntin' us down. Maybe we should send Lom a telegraph from the next town, see if he can get those posters changed." 

Brown eyes twinkled and Heyes grinned as the tension of the last few days continued to fade and he pictured a bemused Lom Trevors reading the fictitious telegraph. Kid grinned back at his partner, relieved to see him smiling again.

Burying the disturbing images of the dream deep inside him would work - for now - but Heyes knew it was inevitable that they would surface again, along with the gut-clenching fear every time somebody recognized Kid Curry, called him out, or when he drew his gun risking his life in his partner's defence. 

Heyes hoped today wouldn't see one of those times. It would be good for them both to breathe easy for a while.


End file.
